Was there a Go/No go vote on whether to trust this random dungeon crawl in the middle of an uninhabited island deal? I must have missed it.
Sensible Girl Quest.
- Thread starter jadecriminal
- Start date
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
We had 'ditch the group and go do something else' options. No real 'seriously try to find out if the group should be doing the mission' options though.
Apparently:
This was supposed to be an option to stop and examine things but considering just how vaguely it was worded and just how weird it was to put an option like that in that context I didn't realize that was an option to that end. Well until this post:
Showed up. Seriously, illusions? What do illusions have to do with this mission being fishy? In context I completely presumed it was about scanning the dungeon, not the plot in general. Because that was what that part of the vote seemed to be about. In retrospect the option was worded so vaguely it could have been about anything.
Hm... I'd like more opinions on that. Since Alice and the team do believe it's suspicious that they are now encountering what basically smells like an rpg dungeon... What other steps could have they taken at that point? Aside from go/no go and checking for unusual magical thingamajigs? It's where the map lead them and they don't have enough information at this time to abort, aside from basically encoutnering blatantly recognizable clishes. (There's a reason for that too, if you want a spoiler?)
They need more data. And the only way to get more data is to go forward?
Are you simply concerned with the lack of conversation on why this is suspicious? I certainly can add a more in depth conversation on that as they travel
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
The dungeon is pretty suspicious in the sense that it is indeed very rpg style in a reality that we presumably think isn't IC.
But really the part that bugs me isn't the dungeon, it is our reasoning for going along with this mission in the first place. Why should we wake up this wizard? Who is this lady who gave them this quest? How do we know the wizard is friendly? What is this egg artifact? Why are a bunch of kids supposed to do the job? Basically all the essential questions we would need to know before accepting a mission like this. And basically all the answers thus far boil down to 'I don't know' or 'generic doom/heroism' as far as I can tell.
And we shouldn't be the only person worried about these things. Hermione at least is a character we know to be fairly cautious in general I believe. Yet they all seem all to willing to go along with this whole plot. It is kinda setting off my paranoia. And given that we have been told by the group themselves that they know their minds/memories have been messed with doing a proper check seems entirely sensible. Because if they are under mind control then entering this dungeon is probably a horrible idea.
I guess, maybe. The problem is that fullnothingness and I are the most vocal advocates for skepticism, but we don't seem to be supported by the majority of voters, at least in the votes that have occurred, so I don't know how well we represent what the actual majority wants to do.
Stahor
BookWorm
- Location
- Russia, Moscow
I don't disagree with your points and generally want a story post where Alice and party talk about situation.
On the other hand, i belive that Alice's goal here is not to comlete the quest, but to discert if taking the spark is safe thing to do.
This is the key point. RPG dungeons allow rapid advancement of ability (xp/skills/perks/whatever) and very good return of loot compared to the invested time. Just compare your level 50 character going back home victorious to the scrub he started as in ADOM. Granted, ADOM has several dungeons.
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
Well, I would also like to know if taking this spark is going to cause major disasters too. Not just personal danger. But either way having proper explanation and understanding of this mission is essential either way. Seeking to complete a mission simply 'because' is not a good idea, ever.
The third thing we should assure us of is that taking the spark is not an immoral thing to do, either by killing whatever is in that egg if it's sapient or an endagered species, or by depriving our mystery wizard of something he needs to heal if he is indeed friendly.
[X][ARMOR]Main Tank & friends. Tank on Billy, Simpler version for Hermione and jinx. (6 mana, Variable DC ) (Half an hour)
Don't skimp on protection.
Unsure if the ritual is worth it; It'd be more useful is we knew what we'll be up against, and could tailor our weakness accordingly.
[X][ARMOR]Main Tank & friends. Tank on Billy, Simpler version for Hermione and jinx. (6 mana, Variable DC ) (Half an hour)
Don't skimp on protection.
Unsure if the ritual is worth it; It'd be more useful is we knew what we'll be up against, and could tailor our weakness accordingly.
Last edited:
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
We're fighting a giant robot and spiders from what I can tell maybe other stuff too
- Location
- with internet
My opinion is as before, and quite similar to FullNothingness & TheEyes, but for a bit more nuance... a good part of what made me suspicious enough to post was the fact that all the important options, primarily conversation and information gathering, seemed almost... brushed aside, in the narrative. Information was given, choices were provided, but they seemed more like distractions; like something an enemy would offer to keep you from noticing what they're actually trying to do.
That's also why I brought up the possibility of Alice's Genera-Savvy/Common-Sense being broken or circumvented somehow; I would have expected that to proc by now on some options, or provide others, but they didn't.
Talked about details, and if there are not enough details to be found, assume a trap. Start planning amongst themselves on how to avoid the trap or spring it on their terms. Scan for the important things; mind-control, fate-alteration, and subtler versions of those (like the air having some unidentified chemical). Mind-blank would indeed be amazing but we didn't know we could do it and... I think we don't have enough resources anyway? Hopefully we can at least find out if our fate has been messed or if someone has already used future sight on our time-line, but that might be even harder than Mind-blank.
Or go back, or force some path that hasn't already been laid for you. Given they should already be suspicious of their circumstances and quest, there should have been an option to talk the entire team into ambushing the robot (to get evidence), especially once they learned about her buff spells and ritual.
They're also even more absurd than most fantasy cliches, because they're not defensible enough to be a fortification, not secure enough to be a vault, and not livable enough to be a home. There are a few explanations that make a little sense, but they usually involve a force of primordial chaos bent to someone's will, a combination of great power and madness, or a production process for something else (like tormented souls). None of which are places you want to be if you can help it, and all of which are following someone else's tune.
RPG dungeon's are an extremely game-y thing, so if you're in one in real life, it's safe to assume you're being played.
I mostly thought that's a lot of overlooked implications in a small space. Results only tend to be redacted like that when you want some hothead to get curious or if the results are in fact a memetic hazard hastily removed. If it was something conventionally dangerous it would not be redacted, and if it was something politically or strategically dangerous then even the hints of problem would be removed or a fake problem would be written there.
(Understanding where the snippet was supposed to come from was easy, although it would be nice to have an attribution to which book from where. [Not so much name/author of fictional book as which part of our trip to Prontera we got it from; I vaguely remember us picking up books both from the archmage's place, a vault, and general shops.])
Just rolling stuff and working on an update.
Edit: Don't worry since it's not a critfail it just adds time.
Also both rolls are suspiciously similar.
Edit: Don't worry since it's not a critfail it just adds time.
Also both rolls are suspiciously similar.
Last edited:
Dungeon part 1
I'm putting this part up for now since I'm not sure if I'll manage to finish the rest today.
[6+34 = 40 Lesser failure, mitigated by extending the casting time.]
For some reason the magic you tried to mix in was slippery, like an eel and didn't want to form a matrix without an anchor and just a dab of mud doesn't work like you thought it would.
You don't exactly have woad, which is traditionally used for this but you manage to cook something up with mud, moss, Jinx's make up kit and by wrecking Hermione's pen.
The quazi-woad finally settles into place but it'd only last for about an hour before it starts fading and you won't be able to shore it up by throwing more magic on it. It will fade faster if you go swimming with the paint on but should otherwise be fine.
It's mostly grunt work so nothing stops you from talking while you prepare the components.
"I'm still not comfortable that our exit strategy is "run the heck away" if things do turn out too oooky." Jinx shakes her head. She's helping by channeling a miniscule amount of her aura into the mix that you are preparing.
"It's not like we have much choice? It's annoying that we were basically yanked out of our lives, given a map and a destination and then got sent off without as much as a how do you do. Yes she looked busy what with the wing-tentacles that were constantly patching cracks around us and she felt radiant and decent and kind. I couldn't smell is it was a con or not. " Billy pipes up.
He's basically practicing with the sword. Just basic swipes and a simple combo or two but he was determined to use it properly. You'd have imagined wild swings but he was mostly determine to learn a pretty basic Parry/Slash/Trust. There wasn't really much you could help aside from helping him adjust his stance and reminding him to keep his balance as you were busy yourself.
"I believe we should have more faith in her. She looked incredibly busy and like she was coordinating a lot of people and doing stuff. Though I don't remember light tentacles. She was sending feathers from her wings to patch the cracks." Hermione looked up at Billy like he was silly and they both look at Jinx.
"I thought it was odd that you didn't mention all the arms." Jinx shrugged. "We probably saw what we expected to see."
"I did think it was funny that she looked like Tyrael from diablo II with the tentacl-y wings."
"So we saw what we expected to see?" Hermione frowned and the rock she was trying to transfigure into a crossbow bolt caught fire.
Everyone goes quiet even as Hermione stopps the mini fire out.
"So anyone want to bet on if we're patsies or if this is a genuine heroic quest to save the world or whatnot? I'm taking fifty fifty odds." Billy finally pipes up with a cheeky grin.
The two girls just gave him a look and he shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to find out. How fast can you snatch the power thingy?" He asks you. He seems satisfied that it'd take mere moments and goes back to practicing.
***
"There we go. It won't last as long as I thought it will and go arround swimming as it will unravel faster. If this looks like it might take more than an hour we'll need to come up with something else." You finally speak when the components are done.
You paint an elaborate symbol across Billy's face and slightly simpler ones on Hermione And JInx's faces, using the newly made 'woad' and incant the spell. The matrix comes together more fluidly and settles on them in turn. Hermione is first speak.
"It feels... odd. Like I have a thick woolen coat on, but not warm or heavy in any way." She sighs. "It feels nice. But it takes a long time to ready."
The others report a similar feeling and you sigh in relief. You are quite certain that you could have had it last for at least a few hours under better circumstances. It will do for now.
Something had been nagging you about the chest even as you worked on the spell and before you left you decided to take a closer look. It doesn't take you too long to realise that the dimensions are a bit off. A few moments longer poking at it and you find a false bottom. A small tome wrapped in leather with no title. You look at it with your magic sight to see if might be dangerous but all you get is a textbook case of highly specialized rejection magic, It won't repel a species or even a type of creature. No it was meant to repel a single, named individual.
The first page is blank, with a handwritten note in cursive.
(Temporary placeholder. Unicode issues)
The poem just stops there.
The rest of the small book, about diary sized is filled with phrases, some in languages that all amount to the meaning of "I reject your presence, NAME or You are unwanted here NAME"
The name is a thick blotch of ink. You thought it was censored or something but no, it's exactly the same each time. It would probably physically rebuke whatever NAME is.
The pattern shimmers and as you stare at it you feel like you might be able to perceive the name if you really wanted to. But the strain of even looking at the blot simply makes you snap the book closed. Right.
The rest of them look at you. You shrug and show them the poem.
"Welp. Someone is playing some sort of a con game." Billy finally shrugs.
"But are we the shells or are we the ball?" Jinx asks, rhetorically.
"And who is pick-pocketing the dude who's staring at the shells?" Billy agrees.
There are really no answers to be had so you decide to move on.
You tuck it away safely in the large pouch on your left thigh. Putting the first aid kit in your backpack. You have a feeling that you'd need the book.
###
Part 2 a bit later today as something came up.
Also I'm gonna be running a d20 modern game in a week or two and am taking applicants. See signature for details.
[6+34 = 40 Lesser failure, mitigated by extending the casting time.]
For some reason the magic you tried to mix in was slippery, like an eel and didn't want to form a matrix without an anchor and just a dab of mud doesn't work like you thought it would.
You don't exactly have woad, which is traditionally used for this but you manage to cook something up with mud, moss, Jinx's make up kit and by wrecking Hermione's pen.
The quazi-woad finally settles into place but it'd only last for about an hour before it starts fading and you won't be able to shore it up by throwing more magic on it. It will fade faster if you go swimming with the paint on but should otherwise be fine.
It's mostly grunt work so nothing stops you from talking while you prepare the components.
"I'm still not comfortable that our exit strategy is "run the heck away" if things do turn out too oooky." Jinx shakes her head. She's helping by channeling a miniscule amount of her aura into the mix that you are preparing.
"It's not like we have much choice? It's annoying that we were basically yanked out of our lives, given a map and a destination and then got sent off without as much as a how do you do. Yes she looked busy what with the wing-tentacles that were constantly patching cracks around us and she felt radiant and decent and kind. I couldn't smell is it was a con or not. " Billy pipes up.
He's basically practicing with the sword. Just basic swipes and a simple combo or two but he was determined to use it properly. You'd have imagined wild swings but he was mostly determine to learn a pretty basic Parry/Slash/Trust. There wasn't really much you could help aside from helping him adjust his stance and reminding him to keep his balance as you were busy yourself.
"I believe we should have more faith in her. She looked incredibly busy and like she was coordinating a lot of people and doing stuff. Though I don't remember light tentacles. She was sending feathers from her wings to patch the cracks." Hermione looked up at Billy like he was silly and they both look at Jinx.
"I thought it was odd that you didn't mention all the arms." Jinx shrugged. "We probably saw what we expected to see."
"I did think it was funny that she looked like Tyrael from diablo II with the tentacl-y wings."
"So we saw what we expected to see?" Hermione frowned and the rock she was trying to transfigure into a crossbow bolt caught fire.
Everyone goes quiet even as Hermione stopps the mini fire out.
"So anyone want to bet on if we're patsies or if this is a genuine heroic quest to save the world or whatnot? I'm taking fifty fifty odds." Billy finally pipes up with a cheeky grin.
The two girls just gave him a look and he shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to find out. How fast can you snatch the power thingy?" He asks you. He seems satisfied that it'd take mere moments and goes back to practicing.
***
"There we go. It won't last as long as I thought it will and go arround swimming as it will unravel faster. If this looks like it might take more than an hour we'll need to come up with something else." You finally speak when the components are done.
You paint an elaborate symbol across Billy's face and slightly simpler ones on Hermione And JInx's faces, using the newly made 'woad' and incant the spell. The matrix comes together more fluidly and settles on them in turn. Hermione is first speak.
"It feels... odd. Like I have a thick woolen coat on, but not warm or heavy in any way." She sighs. "It feels nice. But it takes a long time to ready."
The others report a similar feeling and you sigh in relief. You are quite certain that you could have had it last for at least a few hours under better circumstances. It will do for now.
Something had been nagging you about the chest even as you worked on the spell and before you left you decided to take a closer look. It doesn't take you too long to realise that the dimensions are a bit off. A few moments longer poking at it and you find a false bottom. A small tome wrapped in leather with no title. You look at it with your magic sight to see if might be dangerous but all you get is a textbook case of highly specialized rejection magic, It won't repel a species or even a type of creature. No it was meant to repel a single, named individual.
The first page is blank, with a handwritten note in cursive.
(Temporary placeholder. Unicode issues)
The poem just stops there.
The rest of the small book, about diary sized is filled with phrases, some in languages that all amount to the meaning of "I reject your presence, NAME or You are unwanted here NAME"
The name is a thick blotch of ink. You thought it was censored or something but no, it's exactly the same each time. It would probably physically rebuke whatever NAME is.
The pattern shimmers and as you stare at it you feel like you might be able to perceive the name if you really wanted to. But the strain of even looking at the blot simply makes you snap the book closed. Right.
The rest of them look at you. You shrug and show them the poem.
"Welp. Someone is playing some sort of a con game." Billy finally shrugs.
"But are we the shells or are we the ball?" Jinx asks, rhetorically.
"And who is pick-pocketing the dude who's staring at the shells?" Billy agrees.
There are really no answers to be had so you decide to move on.
You tuck it away safely in the large pouch on your left thigh. Putting the first aid kit in your backpack. You have a feeling that you'd need the book.
###
Part 2 a bit later today as something came up.
Also I'm gonna be running a d20 modern game in a week or two and am taking applicants. See signature for details.
Last edited:
- Location
- United States
this is incomplete
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
41 but i doubt it helps much
Thanks. Removed. it was supposed to be a part of what came a bit later int he post. I have to vanis now for a bit.
Sorry about the unicode issue. I uploaded an image in stead and I'll see how to fix it later.
Actually I forgot the 1 was included in the spellcasting +34 already and forgot to take it out. 40 is correct.
Last edited:
Whew, those rolls were awful.
So, apparently we're being tasked with awakening SHAZAM, that is, Captain Marvel? This... actually does kind of explain the dungeon, or perhaps a more accurate term would be Labyrinth? The whole "There are rules / It could not break" line suggests that this whole area is prepared to keep whatever the Adversary is from discovering what's at the center.
All of this makes me somewhat less suspicious. As Billy said, 50/50 we're saving the world as opposed to being put in a giant sadistic trap.
So, apparently we're being tasked with awakening SHAZAM, that is, Captain Marvel? This... actually does kind of explain the dungeon, or perhaps a more accurate term would be Labyrinth? The whole "There are rules / It could not break" line suggests that this whole area is prepared to keep whatever the Adversary is from discovering what's at the center.
All of this makes me somewhat less suspicious. As Billy said, 50/50 we're saving the world as opposed to being put in a giant sadistic trap.
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
Well, nobody ever accused Shazam of being bright. Hiding a magic book and poem in a false bottom in a trapped chest placed in the middle of a crossroad
Well... He's either stupid, or he has a reason for that?
I can see where you got that but it makes certain assumptions.
Billy had to get the power first, usually from the wizard Shazam who was looking. It's not the word that's magic.
- Location
- Chile
With the mixed worlds I kind of assumed he could have gotten the powers without the memory.
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
Well.... He did once misplace the entrance to the Rock of Eternity...
Yeah, i was kinda operating under the same assumptions. Who knows how magic mixes... is what I'd like to say, but seeing as Hermione and Jinx both came out okay...
Well, if there was ever a time for it:
- Location
- somewhere over there.
- Pronouns
- They/It
Sounds more like we're freeing the wizard. Hopefully Jade's take on him is one of the less dickish ones, because he can easily be read as being an asshole at certain points.
Will be trying something different.
Please ignore these dice rolls.
Please ignore these dice rolls.